Minnesota: Her Account; Her View by Nick Knardirell is a work of fiction based on a deep insight into the world of Mafia. After the murder of her father, who was the head of Busticnam Mafia family, Fuada Busticnam, his daughter, assumes his role. Her father had groomed her for this role because his son did not exhibit the traits of a boss. He had taught her not to trust anyone, but along the way, she, unknowingly, bends this rule a little, and this bending did not prove good for her future. Busticnam family had a rule of hiding their real identity by using a public and a private name. This was no exception for Fuada and her brother, as well. For the general public, she is Janice Hawks, and she is a federal court judge. Everything is in order until her right hand and her “boyfriend” decide to open their big mouths. Deceived, but not broken, she lands in prison. Now, she has all the time in the world to plot her next move.

How much does any of us know about the world of the mafia? Neither we know, nor we wish to know — at least, the normal peace-lovers don’t. The author has done a wonderful job of presenting this world to the people like us. Reading Minnesota, the reader would feel standing in the middle of all the chaos, deception, and conspiracy. The smart and believable narration of Nick from the perspective of Fuada is very fascinating. As she sits in the prison and reiterates the events, in her head, that landed her in this place, a suspense begins building up. By reading the synopsis of the book, the reader knows that she would go behind the bars, but the anticipation of knowing “hows and whys” is absolutely thrilling. The best part is that the author had created such a connection with Fuada that even after revealing the events that threw her at the mercy of law and order, the excitement to know her next step does not surpass.

Each character is believable; however, their physical appearances remain more or less a mystery. Their conversations, however, helped in making a connection with them. My favorite character is Fuada because she has been written with a perfection. Being the only female mafia in the community of mafias, she had to work harder in gaining respect from others. I wish that the author has written more about the struggle that she faced in establishing her reputation as a fierce boss. Her arrogant behavior is in sync with her position. Nick has done an outstanding job in writing her dialogues. Her actions and conversations remind the readers, throughout the book, that she is no ordinary lady. Although she is merciless and holds a grudge, she is playing her character, flawlessly. The conversation style among other prisoners and goons is very street style, which further reflects the incredible work of Nick.

Using the first-person narration, the author has given an illusion that Fuada is thinking to herself and pondering over her own actions to identify where it all went wrong. This, in my opinion, is an excellent choice for telling her story. Fuada remains at the center of all the events; this comes as no surprise because everybody is trying to get to her. After all, why would she be thinking about the things that did not concern her? There is very little humor, but I did not miss it much because the plot did not demand it much. The conspiracies, investigation, and Fuada’s cunning ways were enough to keep the reader excited. The story progressed a little slow for my taste, though.

I would recommend this book to the readers who enjoy reading underworld (mafia-world) fiction.

P.S. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.